OBJECTIVE To determine the factors contributing to the initiation and propagation of smoking in visitors to a major tertiary health center in Karachi, Pakistan. METHODS Seven major contributing factors to the initiation and propagation of smoking were presented to consenting study participants (n=170) in a questionnaire. Participants were then requested to use their experience and opinion to ...

Duking the past year we have had seven cases ?f Bacillus coli bacilluria (which have been pioved to be such by laboratory tests) pass through our hands, varying in degree from an ambulatory type to the most serious illness, which ]n one case terminated fatally. The patients were all females and the age v?.ried from infancy (18 months) through childhood <12 years) to mature middle age. One of th...

Five measures of temporal order judgments were obtained from 261 participants, including 146 elder, 44 middle aged, and 71 young participants. Strong age group differences were observed in all five measures, although the group differences were reduced when letter discriminability was matched for all participants. Significant relations were found between these measures of temporal processing and...

Previous studies have shown that self-reported health indicators are predictive of subsequent mortality, but that this association varies between populations and population sub-groups. For example, self-reported health is less predictive of mortality at older ages, has a stronger association with mortality for men than for women and is more predictive of mortality for those of lower than those ...

A sample of 2,409 intellectually talented adolescents (top 1%) who were assessed on the SAT by age 13 was tracked longitudinally for more than 25 years. Their creative accomplishments, with particular emphasis on literary achievement and scientific-technical innovation, were examined as a function of ability level (sum of math and verbal SAT scores) and tilt (math SAT score minus verbal SAT sco...

OBJECTIVES To analyse the variability in health status within as well as between socioeconomic groups. What is the range of individual variability in the health effects of socioeconomic status? Is the adverse effect of lower socioeconomic status uniform across the entire distribution of health status? DESIGN Nationally representative telephone survey of the US population in 1996. SETTING 60...

Previous studies have demonstrated age-related deficits in implicit learning of higher order sequences in comparisons of college-age and elderly adults (e.g., J. H. Howard & D. V. Howard, 1997). This study examined whether these age deficits begin in middle age. Results showed a reliable age-related deficit in pattern sensitivity in "older" compared with "younger" middle-aged people, and age re...

BACKGROUND Seasonal influences on suicide have been studied for many years with inconclusive and contradictory findings. METHODS Data on suicide in Ireland from 1980 to 2002 was examined to ascertain the contribution of season and demographic variables to suicide. Using Poisson regression modelling and sinusoidal analysis a small seasonal effect (7% from peak to trough) was identified but age...

Humans are not ants, but we often trudge together along the same trail, neglecting to look around for alternatives. Mass delusions involve large groups holding false or exaggerated beliefs for sustained periods. Humanity has a long, sorry list of these shadow-the-leader epidemics of collective consciousness which appear obviously wrong only in hindsight. Some last for centuries: early alchemist...

Bone turnover is the cellular machinery responsible for bone integrity and strength and, in clinical setting, it assessed using markers (BTMs). Acute exercise can induce mechanical stress on which needed remodelling, but to date, there are conflicting results regards effects of varying stimuli BTMs. This systematic review examines acute aerobic, resistance impact exercises BTMs middle older-age...